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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. court — of a king
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — crushed
  6. court — of law
  7. ground — the earth
  8. court — for sport
  9. roll — a list
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. roll — a cake
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. toast — bread
  15. pound — a weight
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ground — a position
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com